LEED AP with Operations and Maintenance (O+M ) Practice Exam

What must be installed for an existing building project to earn LEED certification when adding a building addition without metering the original building?

1. Sub-meters for each individual system

2. Meters to cover 100% of the original building's energy use

3. Meters only for the entirety of the addition's energy use

4. Smart meters to track real-time usage

The correct answer is: Meters only for the entirety of the addition's energy use

In the context of earning LEED certification while adding a building addition without metering the original building, it is essential to focus on the specific requirements for energy metering. When a building addition is constructed, the LEED certification process generally requires that the energy use of the new addition be assessed to understand its contribution to the overall energy profile of the project. Installing meters only for the entirety of the addition's energy use meets this requirement effectively. This approach allows for the necessary tracking and reporting of energy consumption for the new construction without the need to meter the original building. As long as the addition's energy performance can be determined independently, it contributes positively to the overall energy efficiency goals of the LEED certification process. Other choices, such as installing sub-meters for each individual system or requiring meters to cover 100% of the original building's energy use, introduce complexities that are not needed in this specific scenario since the original building remains unmetered. Additionally, the use of smart meters to track real-time usage might provide advanced data, but it is not a prerequisite for this particular situation, where the focus is on the addition itself. Thus, installing meters solely for the entirety of the addition aligns perfectly with LEED's approach to energy management and reporting